1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a system and method for automatically routing and storing information materials and displaying it to authorized persons. More specifically, the present invention is directed toward a system and method to route and store a paper record using a facsimile transmission apparatus to a designated web site for retrieval and display to a user.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Today, the vast majority of medical records are paper-based (approximately 95% according to a recent study) and dispersed among various healthcare facilities and physicians. A single patient may, over a lifetime, visit many different facilities or physicians. The paper medical records associated with these patient visits typically remain scattered between the facilities which the patient sees over his or her lifetime. In addition, patients may not be provided with copies of their medical records by their physician unless the patient specifically requests the physician to do so. Thus, when a patient visits a physician, the patient rarely can provide the physician with his or her full and accurate medical history. In approximately one-third of consultations, patients do not have any prior medical documentation.
In order to facilitate the communication of medical records between different physicians, in some facilities electronic medical record systems are currently employed. Typically, each of these types of system requires the physician to input data into a computer or handheld device, such as the patient's identification information, the date, and a record of the physician's diagnosis and treatment. Inputted data is then stored and may be reviewed by an interested person, such as the patient, the physician, or by an authorized subsequent physician when required.
However, these electronic medical record systems are generally ineffective because the entry of medical data into the system by the physician is time-consuming. The time which a physician requires in order to enter the data could instead be used to see additional patients, an option which most physicians prefer. In addition, these electronic medical record systems can be complex, requiring additional time to train physicians in their use and to troubleshoot them when not operating properly. Reducing the amount of time that is spent with a patient is also not an option for most physicians, since, due to the low margins imposed by managed healthcare systems, the average amount of time that a physician spends with a patient is already a paltry 8.5 minutes. In addition, these electronic medical records systems require a very high capital expenditure.
Furthermore, these electronic medical record systems are typically closed. For instance, the electronic medical records system of a hospital may not be made available to physicians that are not associated with the hospital. Thus, electronic records which are entered and kept by the hospital are rendered useless if the patient visits another hospital, as is very often the case. Also, 80% of the 650,000 physicians that practice in the United States do so in small medical groups of 3-10 physicians. These small businesses do not have the resources to establish electronic medical record systems of their own.
Many of the currently used electronic medical record systems emphasize the security features of their systems. These electronic medical record systems typically employ encryption technology in order to secure patient's records. Despite the use of these encryption technologies, however, there is still no method for securing patient records feasibly and inexpensively.
Thus, an electronic medical record system is required which is simple for a physician to use, and which provides access by authorized persons to a patient's medical records.